I'm making my first spud gun. I'm making a simple design with a sprinkler valve. How can i make sure that the PVC tank does not explode? Has anyone experienced a tank blow up on them? if so, what pressure did it explode at? Should i be concerned about this hazard?

Also, what is the best way to install a pressure gauge on a length of pvc pipe?

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The best way to install a pressure guage would be somewhere where your pipe and a fitting overlap, so it has twice as thick plastic to hold onto.

Then just drill out the hole, tap it, and screw in your pressure guage with plenty of teflon tape to make sure it doesn't leak. After that some people use some type of epoxy to seal around the base of the guage, but that isn't required.

I've heard of cannons blowing up, but everytime it was from a hybrid or a cannon in VERY thin wall drain pipe. A hybrid creates hundreds of PSI. For safety, only use SCH 40 pressure rated PVC (not cellular core that has no pressure rating).

the same goes for fittings, never use any non pressure rated fittings, the pressure fittings will say NSF-PW on them, also make sure to solvent weld the fittings together, you WILL need solvent, also called primer, and pvc cement. ABS cement can NOT be substituted, go here for how to solvent weld http://www.burntlatke.com/weld.html

what is the highest psi any of you have heard of in a pneumatic cannon that was successful, because i shoot my gun at 160 or 180 on average and its been working fine. will psi levels this high effect my gun in the long run??

well, you'll most likely blow yourself up eventually using pressures that high, just because it holds it now doesnt mean it'll always hold, i try to keep around 100 PSI, anything above that is REALLY pushing the envelope i think